


kingdom come

by lalakiki



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Child NCT Dream, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, i just love baby haechan :(, loooooots of comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:53:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22522045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalakiki/pseuds/lalakiki
Summary: Prince Donghyuck has never liked any of his previous 26 attendants, but his 27th attendant brings something new and unique to the royal palace.(note: this fic is discontinued. read chapter 4 for the conclusion and my ending note!)
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 10
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> there's just a couple things i want to say before you start reading:  
> 1\. please don't misinterpret this as a dohyuck romance because that is absolutely NOT what this is; it's a story about doyoung taking care of a mischievous 10 year old prince  
> 2\. romance isn't a main focus; although i tagged renhyuck & dojae/dotae they won't be very important relationships, they'll be more like a cute side treat  
> 3\. i do not know what the average 10 year old acts like nor how they talk/what their vocabulary range is please don't come @ me 
> 
> that's it i think! please enjoy :)  
> (title from the song by red velvet)

"It’s so tragic — it happened suddenly, right? My condolences, young Mage.”

A group of men and women surround a certain tall figure in the center of the town bazaar. Holding a basket of a few lilies, collection of golden string, and a loaf of bread, he takes the time to bow his head politely to everyone that is expressing their sorrow. His finger pushes up his circular wire glasses occasionally, as they have a tendency to slip and fall when he isn’t paying attention to them. 

“Will there be a funeral of sorts? A celebration of her great life?” an elderly man inquires. 

He shakes his head. “She has requested that, if anything, I should privately say my blessings.”

“Ah — I see. Please do not take this too hard on yourself, young Mage,” the man replies with a frown, “She is surely looking over you now, protecting you from the dangers of the natural world.”

A soft sigh. “Yes,” says the referred mage, “she will always be with me in heart… in spirit. Thank you for your concerns, everyone.” Addressing the people, he flashes a gentle smile to the miniature crowd surrounding him, bowing his head one last time. The people murmur and disband the congregation slowly, leaving him alone to attend his business at the marketplace. 

He sighs again and heads to the other end of the cobblestone grounds.

“Young Mage” is a common nickname for a man in his early twenties, Kim Doyoung, that calls to his occupation as a practising mage. Many of the townspeople are familiar with his face and formal, navy-and-black robes, white-collared garment and intricate golden accessories, symbolic of him being a magic user. Most people aren’t capable of using magic — though everyone _does_ have some amount of magic in them — so those who are powerful witches and mages and whatnot gain celebrity status among the average folk. 

Doyoung is particularly well-known due to his late master, an old woman who went by the name Gran Mare. She was recognized across the land, even by the royal king and queen for her immense powers and expertise. She ran a sort of fortune-telling business, though it was mostly her listening to her customers’ worries and offering them advice. She was the one who taught Doyoung never to take advantage of his powers and utilize them for his own selfish desires; if it weren’t for her guidance, Doyoung believes he might’ve followed a corrupted and evil path in life. 

Gran Mare only ever had one apprentice, which was Doyoung. Infamously, she never accepted anyone who begged to be taught her ways, and she never explained why she took in a thirteen year old Doyoung out of all people under her wing. It could be that she saw great potential in the young boy, or perhaps she couldn’t bring herself to trust any of the men and women who were undoubtedly greedy for the power and wealth that came with publicly practicing magic. Or, most likely, it was pure pity for the orphaned boy who had no one to turn to. 

Whatever her reason, though, she never spoke of it to Doyoung. She cared for him like a mother — or, actually, a grandmother would be more accurate age-wise — and carefully taught him spells, incantations, and techniques he needed to know in order to become a fully-fledged mage. 

Ever since she passed away, Doyoung has spent his time creating small shrines in honor of Gran Mare, one in her bedroom at her cottage — he used to live with her, but he eventually purchased his own home and moved out when he was seventeen — and another at a nearby pond that she often said her blessings at. Most of them are finished and he has plans to complete them by tonight, which is why he’s currently at the town bazaar buying a few items he was missing. 

He had already assembled everything he needs, save for a couple herbal candles since he recently used up all that he owned during a lengthy rainstorm. Only a few minutes of walking brings him to a vendor who’s selling exactly what he wants. 

The vendor tells him, “My condolences,” right as Doyoung is about to leave, to which he bows his head at. He is a little taken aback at how news of Gran Mare’s death seemed to have spread so quickly throughout town, though he supposes he should have expected just as much.

On the way back to Gran Mare’s cottage, a couple of ladies in front of him are having a rather loud conversation and Doyoung can’t help but overhear every word they’re saying. Usually, he wouldn’t really care about trivial chats and rumor-talk between middle-aged women, but there are certain keywords that catch his attention — particularly that of “prince”.

“ _It’s already been the 26th that’s up and left!_ ” one of them exclaims.

“ _It’s unbelievable! Prince Donghyuck must really be a spoiled brat, isn’t he? Causing all sorts of problems for the royal family like this._ ”

“ _I feel bad for Prince Minhyung, having to deal with such a troublesome cousin. Will anyone even want to be Prince Donghyuck’s attendant after learning 26 of them have quit their job just this year?_ ”

Doyoung quietly, briskly walks past the conversation. He’s decided to postpone Gran Mare’s last shrine for tomorrow, now that he has new plans for the rest of the day. 

“Hyuck, are you even listening to me?”

“Uh-huh,” says the small boy, sitting on an extravagantly tall bed while folding a paper hat and clearly not listening. He looks up to the one speaking to him with his lips pursed, almost like he’s imitating a duck. “Should this be in blue or red?”

“Hyuck,” the person says sternly, glaring with his arms crossed over his chest raised in impatience. The child, on the other hand, shrugs and continues to ignore him. “I can and will have your desserts taken away for today.”

The reaction is instant: the boy shrieks and puts his paper creation down. He sits properly, stretching his back and neck. “Okay, I’m listening!”

The man sighs tiredly. It’s more or less obvious that he’s had a rough time dealing with this child who refuses to listen, with his faint eyebags and messily rolled-up sleeves and all.

“Like I was saying,” he begins, relocating his hands to his hips, “they found a new attendant for you. As you probably know, this is going to be your _27th attendant_ this year. Please, for the love of God and your aunt and uncle, _don’t make this miserable for him._ Okay?” he pleads, exasperated just at the thought of what he had just said.

Meanwhile, Donghyuck is unaffected by the information, pretending to glance at the ceiling and think carefully. 

“Maybe,” he finally speaks, raising his eyebrows innocently at the other. “But I’m never mean to them like that, Johnny. I’m always nice.”

He falls on his back onto the bed, giggling at his own words’ ridiculousness and rolling around. Johnny reaches over to grab his wrist, guiding him off the bed.

“Come on. We have to go downstairs to meet him,” says Johnny, rolling his eyes.

The two hastily make their way out of the bedroom, down the extensive halls where countless servants passing by stop to bow and greet, “Good morning, Prince Donghyuck,” and the boy waves his hand back each time with a grin. 

They travel down the stairs and to the main front lobby, a space where important visitors are typically greeted by associates of the king and queen. Donghyuck couldn’t count the number of times he’s been forced to meet people from neighboring kingdoms or other random aristocrats whose names he doesn’t bother to remember. 

Inside the lobby awaiting Johnny and the young prince is a singular figure in a long, navy robe, standing in the center patiently. They notice the two and approach them; Donghyuck seems confused at their appearance and partially hides behind Johnny’s long legs.

“This is the prince that you’ll be attending to,” Johnny tells the person, lightly putting his hands on Donghyuck’s shoulders. He laughs softly. “He’s a little shy around strangers. You’ll have to excuse him. Donghyuck, where are your manners? Say hello to your new attendant.”

First blinking at Johnny, the little prince merely grips onto his trousers and stares at his apparent attendant with wide eyes. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Donghyuck,” the stranger greets, smiling gently. He gets onto one knee respectfully. His doe-eyes and very young, handsome facial features cause the boy’s own eyes to grow larger. All of his previous attendants were at least old enough to be his father or mother. “My name is Doyoung.”

“... I’m Donghyuck,” the boy responds after a few seconds of delay. He emerges from behind Johnny’s legs, now fully facing Doyoung, studying his looks. Admittedly, Doyoung does the same.

As Donghyuck was expecting someone the exact opposite of Doyoung to be standing in the lobby, he is experiencing an emotion wave of both shock and excitement. The boy has never seen such a expensive-looking outfit on a person here to be his attendant — a polished servant, essentially — nor has he met any normal person with such a powerful… aura? He doesn’t know how to explain it himself but Doyoung radiates this energy that he has never been around. Maybe it’s his big glasses. Donghyuck sort of wants to try them on; he’ll consider asking in the future. 

The attendant thinks Donghyuck looks just about what descriptions of him depict him as. Right now, he may be tame and shy, but he can easily imagine the devilish grins on his round babyface. Not to mention, Donghyuck’s brown locks are rather messy, though it could simply be that they’re naturally wavy. His complexion is rather tan for a child who he’d assume spends most of his time inside the palace, adding to the playful, energetic impression Doyoung has of him. 

Other than that, Donghyuck appears like an average prince, dressed in a lavish wine-red outfit that stands out from the other servants he had seen scurrying around the palace grounds. He wears a white dress shirt with a lace jabot and ruffled sleeves, covered by a tightly-buttoned red coat, though the intricate lacings of the sleeves droop out of the coat’s sleeves. Underneath the coat are more white lace ruffles, a layer that covers the entire back of his red shorts. White socks reach his knees and his shoes are slightly dirty saddle shoes. In fact, his clothes in general are a little dirty. Doyoung hopes it doesn’t mean he’s already been playing around since it’s still rather early in the morning.

“Well, I suggest that you two get to know each other a little before noon. Or maybe a tour for Doyoung to get familiar with the palace,” Johnny says, interrupting their seemingly never-ending staring contest. “Doyoung, Ms. Na explained to you your duties and how to get Donghyuck’s schedules already, right?”

“Yes; I bring him to the dining hall for their lunchtime meal today, I believe,” he recites confidently, standing back up. Johnny nods. Remembering something, he digs through an inner pocket of his coat and takes out a folded piece of paper.

“I figured you may experience some… hardships as Donghyuck’s attendant,” he explains in a lower voice. His fingers undo the paper and show it to Doyoung; there are numerous names, their occupation, locations of the palace and coordinates written down. “These people are really helpful, either for dealing with Donghyuck’s mischief or stress relief. I’m sure you’re very capable but just in case… You may have heard how many people have taken this job and quit so far.”

“I have. Ah, but… What should I say to them?” asks Doyoung, who accepts the piece of paper with two hands gratefully. “I wouldn’t want to bother them.”

“Just tell them you’re Donghyuck’s new attendant. They’ll understand.” Johnny nods again at Doyoung, while the other nods back knowingly. The older one breaks into a sheepish smile. “Take good care of the prince for me, please. As much as I would like to be his attendant, I have another prince to look over and Donghyuck simply just… aggressively rubs salt into my wounds, if that’s how I should put it.”

Doyoung smiles pleasantly. He came to the palace seeking the job, knowing full well that he would not be met with an easy-going experience, and is prepared, perhaps even excited to see what the future holds for him. But then he realizes something and his heart nearly drops — his expression _does_ actually drop.

“Where’s Prince Donghyuck?”

Johnny’s eyes widen and he glances around the wide lobby room. No one else is present. Donghyuck wouldn’t be hiding, either — he’d be too noisy to stay undetected. “Er… Try going to his room and see if he’s there.” Johnny huffs out a short breath and rubs his temples. “I’m sorry. This happens often, especially to newer attendants. He’s probably hiding somewhere in the palace.”

Somehow, Doyoung is still not reassured by Johnny’s words. He gulps, stuffs the paper into his coat’s pocket, and bows to the other as his farewell. He can feel a drop of sweat trickling down his forehead as he fast-walks away from the lobby and to the halls. 

Doyoung should’ve known, he keeps convincing himself. He _knew_ he saw the unmistakable, mischievous twinkle in Donghyuck’s eyes. As he predicted, the prince must always be up to trouble. But this is nothing that he wasn’t prepared for; in fact, this is rather amusing to Doyoung. A nice challenge, so to speak.

Maneuvering through many maids and butler-looking people, Doyoung rushes — but not runs, since he feels that would be too dangerous — the way to the royal chambers.

Fourth room from the right, the door with shorter handles — Doyoung remembers the directions like one of his magic incantations. It’s unlocked when he cautiously pulls on the handle, so he opens the grand doors all the way. The room is empty, save for a piece of wrinkled paper on the bed. Doyoung picks it up and reads the large, messy handwriting. 

_come find me mister DOIE!!! if im not at lunch auntie and uncle will get angry at you >:)_

“The way he’s right…” Doyoung mutters defeatedly, closing his eyes. He takes a few moments to breathe in and out before leaving the room, closing the doors behind himself. 

This is only one of the many obstacles he’ll have to face, he thinks.

The following ten or so minutes are spent by Doyoung quickly walking around the palace, looking into rooms and occasionally asking servants if they’ve seen the prince anywhere. None that he asked knew of his whereabouts, though they also all seemed hesitant to answer. 

Doyoung notices the gates leading to the massive royal gardens are propped open when he nearly walks past them. Thinking back to Donghyuck’s dirty clothing, Doyoung decides to check the gardens as well. It doesn’t seem uncharacteristic for the boy to be hiding in a tree or bush. 

When he wanders down the stone paths, past flowerbeds of some of the prettiest daffodils and sweet peas he’s ever seen, he notices a large greenhouse in the near distance and a person with a head of pink hair making his way out of it. Whoever he is, he’s rather small and carrying a cloth bag of what seems to be soil with both hands. He’s clearly not Donghyuck from his tattered overalls and muddy gloves, but Doyoung approaches him anyway.

“Hello,” he greets. Upon closer look, the figure is evidently a small child, maybe a similar age to the missing prince. The pink-haired boy turns around and smiles brightly.

“Hi!” Then he looks a bit concerned. “Who are you?”

“Doyoung. Prince Donghyuck’s new attendant.”

“Oh! Hi, I’m Na Jaemin! I’m Hyuckie’s best friend,” the boy then responds proudly, seeming to puff out his chest. Doyoung tilts his head at the name. “You know my mama? Ms. Na?”

“Oh. I do. She’s very nice,” the attendant says. He met Ms. Na, the head maid, the first day he came to the palace for the job. She was a very kind woman who explained in detail his duties and responsibilities. Meeting her son feels a bit surreal; he can definitely see the resemblance. This Jaemin boy seems nice, maybe _too_ nice to be Donghyuck’s self-proclaimed best friend. “What are you doing right now?” he asks, crouching slightly. 

Jaemin flashes another toothy grin. “I’m carrying good soil over to where I’m gonna plant some tomatoes! And then I’m gonna water the sunflowers and practice pruning flowers.”

Doyoung is visibly impressed, to say the least. Jaemin can’t possibly be older than Donghyuck, which means he’s barely in the double-digits of age. He supposes royal servants start learning and practicing when they’re young. Jaemin probably lives at the palace, too, if his mother is the head maid. “I see. I hope that goes well for you.”

“Thank you, Mister Doyoung,” Jaemin says, nodding. “Um… So why are you here?”

Doyoung nearly forgot. “I’ve been looking for Prince Donghyuck. He’s gone and hid somewhere in the palace and wants me to find him… Do you have any idea where he could be?”

“Oh… I think…” The boy trails off, staring into empty space. “He likes really big rooms ’cause small ones make him scared. You know the big rooms in the palace? Like the ballroom and library?”

“Ballroom and library…” murmurs Doyoung to himself. He’s checked the ballroom already but not the library. Maybe he’ll try the latter. “Thank you, Jaemin.”

“You’re welcome! Have fun, Mister Doyoung!”

Jaemin waves his hand vigorously at Doyoung as he leaves, nearly dropping his bag of soil. 

_“Have fun”? That’s easy for you to say…_ He shakes his head and sighs. If he doesn’t find Donghyuck by noon, he really will end up being in a lot of trouble — and probably disappoint the king and queen’s expectations for him as Gran Mare’s capable apprentice. In the name of Gran Mare, Doyoung is not about to give up nor let a rambunctious ten year old get the better of him. 

Though he knows where the library is located — the third floor of the palace’s main section with the decorative door-paintings — he’s never actually been inside the room before. Ms. Na had told him that the library isn’t used often, despite its rich collection of tens of thousands of novels, textbooks, and scrolls. The library is never locked, though, so Doyoung could enter and borrow books whenever he’d like, an offer that he greatly appreciates as a bibliophile. 

Doyoung is standing in front of the doors to the library. The one on the right is very slightly open and Doyoung immediately knows he’s come to the right place. He enters the room and is in absolute awe at the sight. The library is _huge._

The first thing he notices are the illusionistic ceiling paintings that stretch throughout the entirety of the library. They appear to depict different stories and characters in mythology, which he recognizes for the most part. The floor is made of smooth marble, polished, and in a checkered pattern. It seems too clean for a room that reportedly not many people visit. 

Shelves upon shelves of books are organized in multiple columns, labeled by what he presumes are genres and alphabetically by author. The library is so spacious that he can’t even see the ends of the room nor the last bookshelves. Between columns of bookshelves are empty walking spaces, also filled with various furniture like comfy-looking sofas, at least one globe on a movable stand per pathway, work desks and chairs, and lanterns which are all illuminating the otherwise dim, warm-colored room. The walls — the parts that aren’t covered by bookshelves — are decorated with more wall lanterns and portraits of great authors that he can name. He hasn’t even touched on the spiral staircases, second floor and balconies, one above each large bookshelf section. He takes in a long, slow inhale and smells the comforting scent of old parchment. Is he in heaven?

As much as he’d like to rest on one of the sofas and start grabbing books on the natural world and philosophy, he can’t forget the reason why he’s at the library in the first place. Donghyuck _must_ be hiding somewhere in here; there’s plenty of crawl space for him to fit his small body in. Doyoung searches around, his heeled boots loudly sounding each of his footsteps. Donghyuck must realize that his attendant have found him, too.

“Prince Donghyuck?” Doyoung calls, his voice echoing. He walks towards what he believes is the center, a section with an impressive statue of a mythological deity and stained-glass windows behind, surrounding and illuminating the statue. 

“Took you long enough,” a high-pitched voice taunts. Doyoung flicks his head around to a bookshelf behind him, and there he is — Prince Donghyuck sitting on the very top of a bookshelf, swinging his legs back and forth and smirking. Doyoung can feel himself getting light-headed all of a sudden.

How in the world did he get up there? Those bookshelves have to at least be ten meters tall. Did he climb the books? Get down from one of the balconies? He must be used to this, isn’t he? 

“ _Please_ get down from there, Prince Donghyuck. It’s dangerous,” Doyoung pleads to the boy, his eyebrows drooping worriedly. Donghyuck merely yawns.

“I don’t wanna. Attendants make me do boring stuff,” he says, sticking his tongue out. “I’ll stay until lunch.”

“Prince Donghyuck, you might fall and hurt yourself,” replies Doyoung, taking a step closer to the bookshelf. “Please, for your own safety.” 

All the prince does is cross his arms and shake his head. “Nope.”

“You leave me no choice, then.”

To the child’s confusion and wonder, Doyoung does a certain movement with his hands, waving them around slowly while muttering something inaudible. For a second, he swears the man’s glasses shine in a translucent, rose-pink color. A faint stream of gold and pink burst from Doyoung’s palms and like a fairy, fly up to Donghyuck and circle around him. The boy’s mouth remains agape as he follows the floating sparkles with his eyes and suddenly, his body feels light. The gold and pink glitter is lifting him from the bookshelf and carrying him down to the floor, slowing down for his feet to touch the marble surface before it disappears. 

Donghyuck stands still, frozen in awe. Doyoung winces in preparation.

“Was… Was that magic?! Mister Doie, you can use _magic_?!?” the boy starts screaming, jumping up and down. He’s tugging at Doyoung’s robes excitedly at a ferocity that makes the poor mage convinced his clothes will get ripped apart.

“Please calm down first… And my name is Doyoung, not Doie —”

The doors creak open and footsteps enter the library. The prince and his attendant both grow silent and turn around, Donghyuck still holding onto Doyoung’s clothing. A person clad in a black military-like suit, hands stuffed in his trousers’ pockets approaches. Doyoung shudders almost; his expression is unreadable.

The person has stern eyebrows and an exceptionally strong jawline that, along with his dark brown hair pushed over his forehead, intimidates Doyoung for reasons he can’t pinpoint. Donghyuck, too, looks frightened and is hiding behind Doyoung’s taller figure. The attendant has never seen the person before and he can only assume that he’s a figure of authority (or just fear). He stops just a couple feet ahead of Doyoung, his expression remaining cold. Is Donghyuck trembling?

“Prince Donghyuck,” the person says with a voice calm yet full of assertion. “You know what I said about yelling.”

“... Sorry, Mister Jaehyun,” Donghyuck apologizes quietly, looking down at his feet and rocking back and forth gently. 

Jaehyun? The name doesn’t ring a bell for Doyoung. He wonders exactly what his role in the palace is for _the_ Prince Donghyuck to obediently listen to his words. 

“Prince Donghyuck’s new attendant.” Jaehyun focuses his gaze on the mage, his voice remaining low. “I’ve heard you’re a mage. The rumors appear to be true.”

Doyoung gulps. He takes the other’s words like they were a threat, rather than just his thoughts.

Unexpectedly, Jaehyun bows politely to Doyoung. Nearly panicking, he quickly returns the gesture. “Jaehyun. Royal advisor for the king and queen.”

The king and queen’s direct advisor? That would certainly explain the air of authority that surrounds Jaehyun’s broad figure. “It’s… a pleasure to meet you,” says Doyoung, his doe-eyes large.

“Take the prince back to his room. He hasn’t completed his studies for the day yet.”

Donghyuck groans softly from behind Doyoung. “Of course,” the attendant replies, nodding. “Prince Donghyuck, follow me please.” Making brief eye contact with the boy, he flashes an apologetic smile. Donghyuck pouts to appear angry, though it simply looks cute to Doyoung. He bows his head again to the advisor, who does it back silently.

The duo begins to walk past Jaehyun, who stands in place and watches them with his eyes. Doyoung is especially nervous when his arm nearly brushes against Jaehyun’s body. He can tell the other’s scrutinizing glare is fixed on himself and tries not to think too much about it. The atmosphere of the library had gotten stuffy and he wants to leave as soon as possible. 

Doyoung exhales. He keeps a note to himself to avoid Jaehyun in the future if possible.


	2. Chapter 2

“Jaehyun is always so mean for no reason,” the prince grumbles with a pout. Doyoung raises his eyebrow at him.

“What happened to the ‘mister’?” he questions, maintaining a short distance behind the prince while the two walk their way back to the royal chambers.

Donghyuck sticks his tongue out at his attendant. “He’s not here to hear it so there’s no point! Jaehyun is Jaehyun. He just gets scary if I don’t say ‘mister’ and I don’t wanna get yelled at.”

Doyoung shuts his eyes and nods, already having given up. He should've figured Donghyuck is at least old enough to know the right time and place to be “polite”. It’s not as though the little boy is completely gullible, either — Doyoung is a firm believer of the idea that mischief often comes with intelligence. Perhaps the other workers at the palace may think Donghyuck is simply a playful child, but the mage’s opinion is that there’s something beyond his petty tricks and childish antics. Something he can’t quite pinpoint. 

“You heard what he said, right? I have to make sure you do your studies for the day,” reminds the attendant, prompting his young master to whine and stomp his feet.

“I don’t _want_ to, Doie!” the prince retorts with a pout, even stopping in place and nearly making Doyoung bump into him. “It’s so boring. Why do I have to learn about old dead people or why plants are green? I could just find that stuff out by myself.”

Doyoung scoffs. The prince really is just a naïve kid, isn’t he? 

“Okay, then why _are_ plants green?”

Donghyuck suddenly looks flustered and stutters. “I-I said I could find that out, not that I already have! Stupid Doie…” He clears his throat dismissively. “Let’s just go to my room. I just remembered I wanna show you something really cool.”

The attendant is scratching his head at the odd nickname but decides not to touch on it anymore. He figures it’s part of his job to keep the prince pleased as much as he can, anyways, and Donghyuck seems pretty content with calling him ‘Doie’ (not even with a mister like he did earlier — is that saying something important? Is Doyoung overthinking things on the first day of the job?)

When they return to Donghyuck’s room, he runs over to the bookshelf next to his study desk — one that has loose papers, pencils and origami creations strewn across its surface — and gets on his tippy-toes in order to reach a book just barely within his reach. Doyoung doesn’t do much but stand near the door, patiently waiting for whatever the thing is that Donghyuck is wanting to show him. 

Excitedly, the boy dashes up to Doyoung, stopping merely a foot or two in front of the bewildered attendant. He practically shoves the book in his hands into the taller’s face, showing him the cover. Small, golden letters read _The Inner Workings of the Natural World and Sorcery._

Ah. So that’s why.

“Isn’t this cool? Renjunnie got it for me on my birthday last year!” the prince gushes, jumping up and down. “Look, look!”

Since Donghyuck is continuously shoving the book towards Doyoung’s arms, he finally takes it into his own hands and turns to the first page which prefaces the content of the book. As he’s reading the note that the author has left, there’s one thing that’s clear to the mage: this book is far too complicated for a ten-year-old. 

“Er… Who is this ‘Renjunnie’ that you got this book from?” Doyoung wonders tentatively, glancing down at the extremely expectant Donghyuck who looks as though he’s about to burst with excitement, probably because an actual magic user is holding his literal textbook about magic. “The author, I recognize… He is a very well-known mage but none of his books have been sold in the past decade. This is a very rare text.”

“My…” Donghyuck places the tip of his stubby index finger to his lips in thought. “Renjunnie is my friend. Prince Renjun! From, um… the East-something. H-He visits… sometimes…” he mumbles, looking away as if he’s hiding something.

“I see…” goes Doyoung, finding the prince’s behavior rather suspicious but deciding it probably isn’t something worth confronting him about. He begins skimming through the book and its condensed pages full of text and hand-drawn images, whether it be of ingredients to a potion or the proper hand motions to cast a spell. As he expects, the book contains detailed descriptions of authentic magic and sorcery. Some pages even have what Doyoung can only assume as Donghyuck’s own notes and there’s a _lot_ of them, which must mean that the boy has spent has a considerable amount of time studying this book. It certainly explains his earlier burst of fascination with Doyoung’s magic in the library yet it’s also concerning. Really concerning. 

He raises an eyebrow at the child. 

“So can you teach me?” Donghyuck asks, his mouth hanging open like an excited puppy. 

“No,” quickly replies Doyoung. He hands the book back to the frowning child.

“Why? Why, why, why? I’ve even read this book and everything!” the prince demands to know with a stomp of his little feet. “I’m smart, I can learn it!”

“Countless reasons,” the adult says, shaking his head. “Magic is not something you learn for fun. In the wrong hands and without care, magic becomes deadly. You only know the basics from this book; in practice, you would not know how to do anything. Not only that, I would need your family’s approval and I don’t believe you have the magic properties in your body to begin with.”

Watching Donghyuck’s lips quiver in anger and disappointment hits Doyoung’s heart strangely — he feels bad for he knows that he’s definitely hurt the child’s feelings. But Gran Mare did not take in any apprentices (aside from Doyoung) just because she felt like it. Magic was truly dangerous, a driver for ego-building and twisting morality in those who are susceptible to being swayed by the charm of magical powers. She did not skip out on teaching this basic principle to her only apprentice; she emphasized the importance of never sharing the mage’s ways to just anyone, and Doyoung is dedicated to living his life by following the teachings of his wise, old master.

“Hmph!” exclaims Donghyuck angrily, crossing his arms and pointing his nose up in contempt. “I don’t feel like doing my studies today then.”

Doyoung sighs. Of course, the prince is too young to know exactly how important his education is (and also how privileged to have the best learning resources in the country). The _one_ task that is entrusted to the royal attendant and must be completed, though, is to make sure the prince _does his daily studying, every day without fail,_ and Doyoung intends on doing exactly that. But with what means? It doesn’t take long for Doyoung to come up with a good idea, eyeing the book of magic that Donghyuck clutches in his arms. 

“Prince Donghyuck,” he begins carefully, crouching down to be near the boy’s eye level, “although I cannot teach you magic, I can offer to teach you about the natural world — from a mage’s perspective. Maybe some old stories about magic too. But I ask that you promise me you will finish your studies first, and then I will personally teach you these things afterwards.”

The deal appears to pique Donghyuck’s interest, who immediately lights up and gasps.

“Really? For real?” he asks eagerly.

Doyoung nods, smiling even. “For real. But keep in mind my request for Prince Donghyuck because otherwise, I won’t teach you anything.”

“Yes! I’ll put it in my head!” he squeals excitedly while completely misunderstanding what “keeping in mind” means. He gives Doyoung (his legs) a great, big hug with perhaps one of the cutest smiles the mage has ever seen on a child’s face. “Thank you, Doie! You’re so cool!”

Doyoung’s face goes red in embarrassment. “You’re welcome, Prince.”

For a moment, Donghyuck glances up. He seems to stare without saying a word, until he giggles and his face, too, flushes pink before he runs off to his desk, cleaning up the mess. A fond grin colors Doyoung’s lips subconsciously at the sight. Maybe Donghyuck isn’t as awful as the rumors paint him as, once one knows how to properly handle him and his antics. Suddenly, Doyoung is confident in his abilities as Donghyuck’s royal attendant with his progress in less than a day. But he is smart enough to still keep up his guard, in case something more happens because he has the gut feeling that it _definitely_ will.

After bringing Donghyuck to the dining hall when it was noon, Doyoung and Johnny met in a smaller room next door, separated from where the royal family and important guests typically enjoy meals by a door that’s propped open during most occasions. Servants and other lesser guests eat their meals in said room next to the one designated for the masters, unless invited to the meal by the king or queen themselves. Apparently today and like most days, Donghyuck is eating at a earlier time than his aunt and uncle; instead, his meal is accompanied by Jaemin (he is a special exception to the no servants rule), his cousin Prince Minhyung, and Jaehyun, while the attendants sit within view in the neighboring room to eat their own food. It’s their lunch break, essentially (which makes Doyoung wonder when exactly does Jaehyun rest, if he’s technically still on the job by monitoring the two kids).

“It’s amazing how attached to you he already is — I mean, this is Donghyuck we’re talking about!”

“It’s nothing, really…” 

“Oh, no, it’s something. Didn’t you also say that he actually did his studies _before_ lunch?” Johnny sighs and shakes his head. “You’re amazing, absolutely amazing. I am so thankful that you came to fill the attendant position before anyone else did because I sincerely doubt someone out there could do just as well as you are right now.” The comment makes Doyoung laugh; he covers his mouth with his sleeve politely. A maid walks in and out of the dining hall, exchanging a couple words with Jaehyun, who is sitting across from the prince and his friend with an unreadable expression as usual.

“If only you knew what I had to tell him so he would take out his books,” says the black-haired one exasperatingly. 

“Was it magic?” Johnny whispers so abruptly that Doyoung’s natural reaction is to choke on his bite of bread. “I figured as much. I didn’t want to tell him that you’re a mage since I knew he’d be, uh, a bit excited about that.”

“Well…” Doyoung’s lips flatten without knowing what to say.

Johnny puts his utensils down and wipes his mouth with a napkin. 

“You know, I’m actually curious. Why did you want to become his attendant in the first place?” he inquiries. “It’s just — you’re a mage, Gran Mare’s apprentice. You could easily run a business like she did, or at least aim for a higher position in the palace.” He clears his throat. “‘Why Donghyuck?’ is what I’m wondering. You must’ve heard the rumors about him, right? Not even most average people would willingly come here seeking your job.”

“That’s… exactly why,” Doyoung murmurs after hesitating for a couple seconds, “The rumors. I heard them on my way home. I…” He pauses, blinking at his half-eaten lunch. “I felt bad for him. That he was talked about like _that_ by random adults on the streets.”

“Yeah,” the other attendant says with a defeated, sad smile. “Ever since his parents passed away, people have always talked about him. It’s nice that he’s still carefree as ever but… I’m worried for the future when he grows up and learns of these things.”

“He’s strong. I hope he stays strong, even when he grows up,” whispers Doyoung. The air between them is heavy and cold. Johnny merely nods. Out of nowhere, the very loud screaming of Donghyuck echoes through the open doorway and to the attendant’s own rooms. They turn their heads, wondering if something had happened to any of the three. 

“Prince Donghyuck,” Johnny and Doyoung can hear Jaehyun’s low voice, raised in volume compared to usual, scolding the prince. “I told you —”

“I finished my lunch, bye!” he interrupts, jumping off of his chair, the attendants witness, and dashing away to the hallway with a bright red face, leaving everyone else to wonder what that whole thing was about. Their attention goes to Jaehyun, who is visibly disappointed and is needing to close his eyes and breathe deeply to calm himself down. 

Jaehyun calls for some maids to clean up the table as both he and the two kids get up from their seats, presumably finished with their own meals as well. They travel the short distance to where Johnny and Doyoung are seated, who also get out of their chairs. He makes eye contact with Doyoung and does not appear to be pleased with Donghyuck’s behavior.

“Do you mind talking to the prince for me?” requests the advisor with a sigh escaping his parted lips. “I was informed that Prince Renjun from the East Kingdom is visiting soon and he freaked out.”

“Ah. That explains it,” Johnny comments, grinning. The child with black hair and a sharp facial structure makes his way to Johnny’s side. “Oh, Doyoung! You haven’t met Mark yet.”

“Mark?” Doyoung asks confusedly, but then glancing to the child he gasps and corrects himself. “Prince Minhyung.”

“You can just call me Mark. Prince Mark if you really need to,” he replies, casually shrugging. “I don’t really like the formality.”

“Doyoung, this is, as you know, the crown prince and Donghyuck’s older cousin,” Johnny introduces, putting an arm over Mark’s shoulders. Him and Doyoung bow for each other as a formal greeting.

Mark definitely appears older and more mature compared to his younger cousin — Doyoung heard he’s currently fifteen — and there’s not much a resemblance he can see in terms of physical appearance between the boys. Mark has black hair, mostly combed over his forehead except for some amount of bangs. His outfit resembles Donghyuck’s closely, though it’s obvious that the older prince is more proper and well-kempt.

“I’ll leave the rest to you two,” Jaehyun says, turning towards the door. “I trust that Prince Donghyuck will be taken care of.” He walks to the exit but stops when he is besides Doyoung, who is maintaining a neutral expression as best as he can. Again, it’s like he’s reliving the moment in the library; he can feel the burning gaze of Jaehyun focused on the mage’s figure. He gulps. 

“Good job,” he can hear Jaehyun saying softly, right before he leaves.

“Mister Doyoung,” says a familiar voice. A head of pink hair waddles over to Doyoung. “Can you help Hyuckie take care of his love problems for him?”

“Right — yes, um…” Doyoung has to take a moment for his brain to reorganize its thoughts until finally, what Jaemin has just told him registers. “I’m sorry, his _what_?”

“Hey!” Mark interjects, elbowing the younger boy. “I thought we said we’d keep it a secret from him.”

“Yeah, but Mister Doyoung is smart _and_ he can use magic!” Jaemin exclaims with a wide mouth and sparkling eyes. “He would know anyways.” Turning to Doyoung, he folds his hands behind himself and rocks back and forth on his feet. “Mister Doyoung, Hyuckie really really really likes Renjun. Whenever the maids come and tell us that Renjun is coming to the palace, Hyuckie goes and hides in his room until Renjun is here. Mister Jaehyun gets really angry about it.”

Doyoung first looks to Johnny, who simply shrugs.

“It’s not really a secret to us servants that Donghyuck likes Prince Renjun,” the eldest explains. “But it’s true — he always shuts himself in his room when he learns Prince Renjun is visiting this palace. I don’t really know what he does in there, to be honest. He comes out to eat his meals but other than that, he doesn’t ever come out.”

“Yeah! But what if Mister Doyoung can help him come out of his room?” Jaemin suggests. “It gets lonely when he does that for days. Who else am I supposed to play with?”

“That might work,” Mark adds with a nod of approval, crossing his arms. “I don’t want Jaehyun to be mad, either. He gets all grumpy and then he gets mad at _me_ just for the tiniest mistakes I make.”

“It’s not a bad idea…” Johnny, with his hand rubbing his chin, agrees. He looks to the rather confused attendant. “Do you think there’s something you could do about it? Not necessarily with magic; just in general.”

Doyoung’s lips squirm around in thought. He isn’t sure if he can think of anything that would do any good for the situation, but he supposes anything is worth trying out. Pushing up his glasses, he exhales. 

“I can try something.”

The doors of Donghyuck’s rooms are closed shut, just as Doyoung had been informed. He’s knocked a couple times but there was no response, though he can hear quiet shuffling of clothes and book pages turning from inside. Doyoung sighs; he’s hoping that the promise of teaching the prince about the natural world from earlier would convince him to leave his room.

“Prince Donghyuck?” Doyoung inquiries gently. “Since you finished your studies, I was planning to teach you the things I promised. Please open the door.”

“No,” the boy replies after a couple of seconds of silence, “not until Renjunnie is here!”

Doyoung’s hands grip into fists. He was more or less expecting immediate failure but doesn’t have a plan in the case that Donghyuck rejects his offer. Standing in front of the door, he taps on his chin, thinking what exactly would entice a stubborn child that didn’t involve magic. He isn’t about to say he’ll teach the boy magic, so that isn’t an option. But what else could he do, if Donghyuck didn’t want to hear his stories about magic and how magic lives in nature? 

Unless, just _hearing_ is too boring for the boy… 

“Prince Donghyuck, what have you learned about animals and plants from _The Inner Workings of the Natural World and Sorcery_?” Doyoung asks, suddenly confident in his new plan.

It takes nearly a minute for Donghyuck to respond. “… That they like people who can use magic.”

“Yes.” Doyoung clears his throat. “I was going to offer to visit the gardens and teach you there, with the animals and maybe some faes, if they want to show themselves.”

Soon enough, the doorknobs slowly twist and the door creaks open, just slightly, and half of Donghyuck’s face peeks out. Doyoung sighs a sigh of relief, thankful that he was able to succeed in coaxing Donghyuck out of his room. Though, now he has to pull through with his newfound promise which, to be honest, he feels may get him in trouble with Jaehyun or someone else of authority in the palace. 

But watching the happy smile creep its way onto Donghyuck’s round face and his face crinkle out of excitement might just be worth the consequences. 

“Faes? They’ll really be there?” he reluctantly asks, clearly trying to hold back from bouncing excitedly.

“They’re everywhere, really. They just don’t like showing themselves to normal people,” Doyoung reassures with a smile. Convinced, the prince emerges from his room and steps up to his attendant, grabbing his hand to hold it in his own.

“Okay. Let’s go,” Donghyuck says with a giggle.

As the two make their way down the stairs and through the halls to the gardens, a couple of servants pass by them. Each one of them flash a surprised expression or simply gawk at the sight of the prince holding hands with Doyoung. At first, Doyoung thinks it’s because it’s strange for them to be holding hands like siblings, though once he thinks about it, it likely has to do with Donghyuck’s history of, well, not being very fond of his attendants. Either way, Doyoung ignores them and keeps a firm grip on the boy’s hand, leading him to the gardens. 

Past the greenhouse that Doyoung saw earlier is a section surrounded by willow trees and brushes with flowers in bloom; in the center of the area is a pond with floating lily pads and some stray flower petals on the surface of the clear water. Though there is a stone statue and a visible path, Donghyuck says that most times no one comes to this part of the gardens, mostly because it’s hidden by the tall trees. The prince himself and Jaemin often play in this area, apparently, whether it be observing birds coming to take a bath in the pond or trying out makeshift “boats” in the water and see who sinks first.

Even before Doyoung starts anything, a small robin flutters to the mage’s side and lands on a finger that he is outstretching for the creature. Donghyuck is ecstatic at the sight.

“Whoa!” Donghyuck exclaims, to which Doyoung responds with a stern look and a ‘shh’. “Sorry,” he whispers, staring at the bird that seems to have no fear of Doyoung. He can’t believe his eyes; it isn’t as if he doubted the book’s writings that told him animals are attracted to magic users, but to think that he would see it happen with his own eyes is mind-boggling.

“Do you know why animals like magic users, Prince Donghyuck?” inquiries Doyoung, as if testing the boy’s knowledge on magic and how much he understands from the book. 

Donghyuck’s eyes dart around the garden, his fingers fidgeting in front of himself, searching for the answer. “Um… Something about… Energy? I dunno…”

Doyoung softly laughs. “It’s a concept that’s a bit too difficult for children to understand.” Crouching down, he brings his finger with the robin to his chest and close to Donghyuck, at a height where he won’t have to break his neck watching. The robin chirps and turns its beak from here to there. “Every living being in this world has some amount of magical properties; that, of course, includes you, Jaemin, and the others.”

Donghyuck nods eagerly. “Yeah!”

“But a few of us, like myself, have more than the average person. We have magical properties strong enough to cast spells and actually make use of our magic. This is the same principle for humans, animals, plants and such — like I said, every living being. Anything that has a mind of its own.” Doyoung lifts up his index finger from his other, free hand and does a small swirling motion over the bird. A faint stream of glitter follows his fingertip and floats around the robin. “Magic is powerful. With magic, a creature will evolve into a greater, powerful form. Some can even gain human-like appearances. Faes and gnomes are actually little animals and bugs with special magical powers, you know.

“But only very, very few have enough magic for that to happen. We don’t know why that is; some mages think it’s due to a god that grants powerful magic only to certain creatures that they choose. Everyone wants magic though, right? Just like how you wanted to learn how to use magic.” Donghyuck nods again, this time slower because he’s paying close attention to Doyoung’s lecture. “Animals and plants think the same way; they want magic so they can do fun things. It’s not possible, though, unless you were born with the powers. But they chase after magic anyways, _and_ they can easily detect magical energy. That’s why mages are always followed by animals and bugs when they’re surrounded by nature, like we are now.”

Doyoung’s finger shifts from hovering over the bird to reaching out to Donghyuck’s head, lightly tapping the top of his brown locks. The glitter stream follows and seemingly dance on the spot where Doyoung touched Donghyuck’s head. Suddenly, the robin leaps off of the mage’s finger and onto the boy’s head, pecking gently. Donghyuck’s eyes tilt upwards in an attempt to watch the bird’s movements as he giggles pleasantly.

“See? The robin likes the magic, not me.”

The robin eventually flies away when Doyoung waves his hand towards it, almost like a command for it to leave them alone. He stays in his half-crouch, watching the awed Donghyuck with a satisfied expression. “That’s so cool! I couldn’t get that from the book…”

“It’s a very difficult text for someone your age. When you’re older, try reading it again. You’ll learn of another world of magic you never knew,” Doyoung tells him, smiling an innocent gummy-smile. Evidently in a good mood, the prince begins to wander around the area, looking down at the pond water and the tiny bugs that pounce from one lily pad to another. Doyoung observes him, for some reason feeling proud of the child like he’s his parent. 

“Doie?” the prince calls, turning his head around.

“Yes?”

“Sometimes, um, when I’m here with Jaemin it feels like people are watching us,” Donghyuck explains, something that sounds a bit odd to the mage and strikes some concern in him. “Do you think it’s faes and gnomes watching us from the trees?” he asks excitedly, smiling just at the very thought of it. But the attendant is not smiling anymore upon hearing this.

“Perhaps…” Doyoung answers quietly, his expression dropping with every second. _How? Why can he sense their presence?_

Donghyuck is not wrong. From the very first step they took into the secluded pond area, Doyoung could feel the heavy stares of faes and similar creatures in the vicinity. Although their presence is likely greater than usual because of the mage’s own presence in the area, there is no reason why Donghyuck would know of this. And he said it’s happened before, multiple times, even without Doyoung there. There couldn’t be the possibility that Donghyuck actually has the magic potential of such caliber; Doyoung would have detected it instantly. Then why, if not that? Doyoung cannot think of a single reason why Donghyuck is saying he feels like “people are watching” in a place where people of the palace clearly never step foot on.

Suddenly, Donghyuck flicks his head around to a collection of trees on the other side of the pond and stares at the empty space. Doyoung does, too, and realizes that they aren’t alone. This makes him panic internally — Donghyuck noticed the third party _before_ the mage?

The prince is, in fact, a little fearful of whatever it is, since the trees rustle gently in its presence. Doyoung quickly makes his way over to Donghyuck, stepping in front of him protectively just in case. The leaves and branches rustle and shake gently for a few moments more until something peeks out from behind the collection of bushes. The top half of a human head with light blonde hair. Tiny luminous insects surround and fly around the head, which rises and reveals the appearance of a young man with long, pointed ears. Translucent butterfly wings stretch from his back. A fae.

“A fae!” Donghyuck then yells with a bright smile, the volume causing the fairy to react by shrinking back slightly. “Oh. Sorry,” he says much quieter.

The fae stands in the same spot silently, as though scrutinizing the pair, his expression blank. He seems a bit fearful of the human child and the fact that he is opening himself up to the normal people, but he looks to Doyoung; there must be a reason why the fairy is doing this. 

“Your name is… Sicheng?” Doyoung asks. Often times, a name of a fairy or similar creature is told by their magic that mages can read. The fae nods though not speaking a word. “I see. What is your purpose for showing yourself to us, Sicheng?”

Sicheng steps forward, the bushes moving on their own and parting to create a small path for him to walk down. His wings flutter as he approaches the pond, flying over the water to where Donghyuck and his attendant are standing. Like most faes, each time his bare feet touch the ground a small array of flowers and grass grow then disintegrate into golden sparkles after a couple seconds. As he comes closer, Doyoung can feel the overwhelming amount of magic from Sicheng; he’s quite powerful. 

The fairy reaches out to Doyoung. His delicate hands grasp onto Doyoung’s own larger hands, his fingertips glittering and some bouncing off of the mage. As a common way of greeting, faes will want to touch hands with mages, sharing each other’s magic for a short moment to create familiarity. Strangely, Sicheng’s hands are shaking. 

“The young prince is in danger,” Sicheng informs softly. “Someone is after him.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey im back (kinda)!! really sorry about taking so long -- i'd would love to regularly update this (i have the whole story planned out i'm really excited for it) but unfortunately i'm just so awful committing to one thing lmao plus i have school now :(  
> nonetheless i will do my best to keep updating this story!!!!

Doyoung furrows his eyebrows. It was far from possible that a delicate fae would be trying to pull a nasty trick on him. There were no lies in his words, and his shaky body further proves his point.

“What… exactly do you mean by that?”

For a moment, Sicheng glances away, as though worried that someone is eavesdropping on their conversation. He looks back to the mage, his eyes enlarged. “There have been malicious eyes… following the prince since he was much younger. I am afraid that they are hunting the child patiently — until they decide to strike.” 

The very thought of what Sicheng had described to him is greatly concerning to Doyoung, who wonders who would even plan such a thing against a young boy like Donghyuck — and most importantly, why?

“What are their intentions?” inquires Doyoung, though he doesn’t expect the fae to know either. The latter shakes his head gently. 

“I do not know, but I am certain that they are after the prince’s very life,” responds he with his ethereal wings fluttering slowly. His voice grows quiet. “He is not a normal boy… There may be something special about him. Please, do everything you can to protect the innocent life. He is in grave danger.”

“I… understand.” Taking in a deep breath, Doyoung nods reassuringly to the worried fae, despite himself being unsure of what to do in such circumstances. Protecting the prince’s life, however, is something the attendant has been prepared to accomplish since the beginning. He does not break his own word; if Donghyuck must be protected from a dangerous, ill-intentioned individual, Doyoung will not hesitate to do exactly that. “I will do all that I can. Thank you for informing me, Sicheng.”

In response, the fae nods and steps back, signaling that he is to leave soon. To check on the prince, his attendant peers over his shoulder. The boy is gawking at them curiously, likely wondering what they were quietly chatting about. As Sicheng leaves and heads back to the wooded parts, Donghyuck waving his hand goodbye enthusiastically. 

“What was that about?” the boy asks, just as Doyoung expects. The older one clears his throat dismissively. 

“We exchanged some greetings is all,” he lies, of course, not letting the child know any of what he had just learned from the fae. Donghyuck does not think much of it, being the naïve kid that he is, allowing Doyoung to give him a gentle expression. “Shall we return to the palace?”

The boy shrugs, taking Doyoung’s hand into his own, expecting them to walk the path back to the building together. As soon as he is looking away and at the garden scenery, the mage then sighs exhaustedly, shutting his eyes momentarily. Although he is able to keep his demeanor calm, rehearing Sicheng’s words of warning racks his nerves. Watching Donghyuck play around and smile, if anything, makes him fearful of what the future holds. 

Every other evening, Donghyuck has a lesson on royal etiquette taught by a special instructor. Doyoung was told that once Donghyuck is having his lessons, the attendant is free to take care of other things as they please. Tonight, the mage chooses to take a slow walk around the palace to familiarize himself better with the extensive rooms and halls and, most importantly, clear his mind. 

Evening is still rather active for the palace, having busy servants occupied with end-of-the-day cleaning and prepping for the following early morning. As Doyoung walks down paths that servants frequent, some seem to pause and glance at him as he goes by. It could be that he is dressed quite differently from the plain and austere clothing of the average servant, or that they already know him as the prince’s new attendant, rumored to be a magic user.

Other than the stares, Doyoung finds that the walk is quite peaceful and an effective way of clearing his mind, as he had hoped to. The walk is probably the only chance he’s had to actually relax throughout the entire day, considering… _everything_ that had happened until this serene moment. He avoids thinking about any of it and instead, focuses on the path ahead of him and the door swinging open that nearly hits him. Someone familiar hurriedly shuts the door after exiting the room, weirdly looking at Doyoung.

“I’m sorry. Are you okay?” he asks, his voice low as usual, though that doesn’t make the apology any less sincere.

“Oh, yes, I’m fine… My fault for not paying attention,” the mage quickly replies with a short-lived, awkward smile. Jaehyun, on the other hand, doesn’t change his facial expression at all. Just like their last encounter, Doyoung finds him unreadable as ever. 

Jaehyun has a book and a leather case that is evidently stuffed with papers all tucked under his arm. The room he had emerged from is an archive room of sorts — one of many found throughout the palace — and from his somewhat messy hair and rolled-up sleeves, Doyoung can come to the conclusion that he’s been busy at work, too. He can merely imagine what all the daunting tasks to complete as the royal advisor are like before feeling overwhelmed. He may not feel very comfortable around Jaehyun, but he certainly holds a lot of respect for him.

“Is the prince behaving?” Jaehyun suddenly asks, eyeing Doyoung in a way that causes him to gulp loudly. 

“For the most part,” the attendant answers, pausing before continuing, “He is very playful and mischievous at times but, of course, he is a young child. It’s to be expected.”

“Of course,” Jaehyun repeats, seeming to study the other carefully until he exhales softly through his nose. Readjusting his arm carrying the items, the royal advisor lifts his gaze by a slight angle. “We are expecting many things from a mage, you know. That you are far more capable and well-suited to attend to the prince.”

Doyoung already senses that he won’t enjoy this current conversation. However, position-wise, he is in no place to speak back to Jaehyun as he wishes to. Besides, there was nothing _untrue_ about what he had just uttered to Doyoung, other than the fact that it weighs him down like a boulder thrown onto his shoulders. 

A bit lost as to how exactly he’s supposed to respond to such a sharp statement, Doyoung hesitates at first before nodding respectfully, almost like bowing with his head. “I am fully aware, and I intend to meet such expectations to the best of my ability.”

Jaehyun does not add on to his words after Doyoung’s response. Instead, he turns on his heel and begins walking past the mage, down the path he originally meant to tread minutes ago. Though, he has one last thought, which he shares in the flattest voice yet. That, alongside the fact that he could not bring himself to turn around to look at Jaehyun, brings the raven-haired to a harrowing sense of shame.

“You said it yourself, didn’t you? Donghyuck is a young child. Yet here you are, exposing him to magic so carelessly. Perhaps you aren’t aware of anything at all.”

Doyoung finds himself frozen in the hall, staring at the floor while each of Jaehyun’s sharp footsteps relentlessly stab him through his back.

There isn’t much to do for the royal attendant once evening transitions into late night and his prince has gone to bed. Though he can return to his own room and relax there, Doyoung instead takes care of a couple minor errands extra early, then a quick trip to the library for a couple books to study himself. He walks around the palace grounds with light steps, conscious of the many sleeping folks behind locked doors, carrying a silver candelabrum to illuminate his path.

As he is travelling down a flight of stairs, he notices another warm light approaching him from below. It does not take long for him to realize the person is Johnny, smiling as he meets Doyoung’s gaze. Still fashioned in the same clothes, the only change being a tired expression, he wonders if his fellow attendant has had a busy day. They meet at the floor, bowing their heads as a late-night greeting.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been studying at this hour,” comments Johnny in a near whisper, the edge of his lips grinning.

Doyoung shakes his head. “Just borrowing some books now while I have my peace and quiet.”

“Understandable.” The brunette shrugs. Remembering something, he sets his index finger to the opposite end of the hall, pointing at a door that’s next to a still-burning candlelight. “Have you been there yet?”

“No, I haven’t,” Doyoung replies, swaying his body to look at the door, “What room is it?”

“It’s actually… a secret little lounge room for servants,” Johnny whispers, the enthusiastic energy in his voice recognizable. Doyoung himself widens his eyes out of pleasant surprise, having not expected for there to be such a room in the palace. “Most of us are in on it, so we have the royal cooks and maids keep it clean and stocked with food.”

“That sounds marvelous,” the other comments, blinking his eyes. Considering how much stress a certain someone has already caused for him, a quiet room filled with delicious food does indeed sound marvelous. He keeps a mental note to himself on which floor he’s standing on, just so he won’t forget in the future. “Am I… allowed to visit it occasionally?”

“Oh, of course! I promise you that you’ll _need_ to be there almost every evening once you’ve gotten deep into your job.” Shaking his head and sighing loudly, the taller man appears to reminisce about his past, his younger days working as an attendant. He gives his junior a hearty pat on the back in addition to a warm smile. “Try not to exert yourself too much. This isn’t an easy job, but your health comes before anything else.”

Doyoung finds reassurance in Johnny’s words, though he pauses to think about something. “Even before the prince’s life?”

Johnny merely keeps his smile, patting the other’s back once again and working his way up the stairs. “Get some rest, Doyoung.”

The black-haired attendant quietly watches as he leaves and tells him, “Goodnight,” to which Johnny responds with a wave of his hand. A sigh slips past his lips while Johnny disappears beyond the staircase, leaving Doyoung wondering if he should take a peek of the heavenly room now or wait until tomorrow. 

It doesn’t take long for him to give in to the tantalizing offer of royalty-grade food. He hasn’t had that much to eat today, having skipped dinner in favor of spending more time around the palace grounds, so he figures a midnight snack won’t hurt.

Half-expecting the door to be locked, he gently pulls on the doorknob and dim lights pour out from the room. He’s immediately hit with the scent of fresh biscuits and recently brewed tea, bringing him into the room and shutting the door behind himself, all of a sudden feeling hungry.

It’s a rather conservative room, having minimal furniture and space but enough for a large group to sit and lounge at once. At the back of the room is a long table, likely an old one that’s no longer used for palace dining, filled from one edge to the other with baskets, plates and bowls of desserts and various baked goods. 

Everything is perfect about the room; every detail from the small pile of books to read, blankets and pillows to use, and the man snoring away in a sofa-chair at the back corner of the room.

Doyoung has to do a double take to ensure he isn’t just seeing things. He decides that no, he isn’t imagining some random person is in the room with him, and that someone truly did decide to doze off in here. 

He carefully takes a closer look. The outfit the person wears is not something he recognizes as one of the normal servants’ attire. Next to the chair he quite comfortably sleeps in, a large shoulder bag is placed on the floor. Perhaps someone with a delivery duty? Doyoung isn’t too sure. 

Closer, he sees part of the guy’s face. His fairly tanned skin, perhaps from spending lots of time outdoors, is surprisingly smooth and clear. The shape of his chin is rather strong and masculine, but the long, thick eyelashes of his shut eyes contradict that quality. Although he’s sleeping with his head slumped and hanging over to the side, Doyoung can tell that this is quite the handsome person. His chest rises and falls gently each time he takes a soft, quiet breath. 

Although undecided on whether this person really is supposed to be in the palace or he’s some sort of thief that snuck in, he knows that it’s too late for him to want to deal with anything. Besides, there isn’t any way for him to know who has permission to be there or not, being the newbie who hasn’t memorized most of his coworkers’ faces yet. 

He carefully steps out of the room, each footstep delicate as to not possibly disturb the person’s peaceful slumber. 

After returning to the dimly lit hallway with a yawn, Doyoung continues on the path back to his room to finally call it a day and rest on his (so far) unused bed. He imagines the second he lays down on that sweet, feathery mattress he’ll doze right off in his robes and everything. A well-deserved rest… he cannot _wait_ to plant his head against a pillow and snugly fit under a blanket. 

On the way back to his room, Doyoung notices he’s passing by his prince’s room. He stops for a moment, wondering if the boy is possibly still awake, which he would not find shocking at all considering his amount of energy throughout the day. 

Oddly, the room isn’t completely silent despite the prince seeming to be fast asleep. There are some gentle rustling noises which slowly increase in intensity, and the groans of the young boy knocks Doyoung fully awake. He doesn’t want to jump to conclusions yet but when Donghyuck’s voice suddenly cries, “No… No!” he isn’t willing to simply assume anymore.

The door is unlocked. Doyoung hurriedly swings the door in and rushes in, fully prepared to fend off anyone (or anything, he supposes) that could be infiltrating the prince’s room. From what he can make out in the darkness, there is no movement that indicates an intruder. He instead looks to the boy, who is tossing and turning in his bed violently, still crying out desperate pleas for no visible reason. 

“No… G-Go away…!” Donghyuck half-shouts, half-sobs while clutching onto his blanket for dear life, Doyoung watching on with terror in his eyes. He’s still asleep, meaning this must be some type of nightmare. It surely is one hell of a nightmare, though — Doyoung never would have thought a boy like the prince could be stricken with such fearful visions. 

Crouching next to the bed, Doyoung hesitates for a second before placing his hand on Donghyuck’s shoulder. Witnessing Donghyuck breathe so heavily and audibly cry out is stressful enough for Doyoung himself to panic. 

Preventing nightmares with a spell or amulet, sure, he’s done plenty of that in the past. But consoling a child who is screaming in his sleep because of them is something he’s never even thought about doing before. What _is_ he supposed to do in this situation? Maybe it’s best to call for Johnny or other servants who would know what to do? The mage is far too unprepared for this scenario. 

Fortunately, the boy’s eyes blink wide open and his body shoots up from the mattress, him panting and eyes frantically darting around the room as if to search for the threat that’s been terrifying him. When he realizes Doyoung is there beside him, he immediately lunges into the elder’s embrace and stuffs his face straight into his chest. 

His small body trembles in Doyoung’s arms, quiet sobs muffled into the material of his clothes. There has never been a moment in the attendant’s life, he realizes, where he’s held onto something so delicate, something precious that needs his comfort more than ever.

“Nothing will hurt you,” he begins in a whisper, protectively wrapping an arm around the boy’s shoulders, his other hand placed upon his head, “I am always here. I will let nothing harm you.” 

Being this close physically to the prince and embracing him without permission is likely against the rules for servants like himself, though he couldn’t care less about protocol when a young boy like Donghyuck is so vulnerable and afraid. The only thing on his mind is to ease the prince’s nerves and rid him of his fears, an important task he considers part of his duty as attendant. 

“I saw the bad man,” mumbles Donghyuck, lifting his face from the man’s chest and wiping at his tearful eyes. He doesn’t make eye contact with Doyoung, preferring to grip on his clothing with his small hand and leaning very close to the larger figure. He sniffs and rests his cheek upon Doyoung, feeling rather drowsy. “He wants to eat me.”

The other sighs silently. The “bad man” must be a character in his nightmare, the subject of his terrors. Eating… Donghyuck probably views him as a monster who devours children like himself. Frightening, but not an uncommon thing among the young with vivid imagination. Then again, Doyoung isn’t sure if children usually are scared to death like Donghyuck was, or if what the prince dreams of is much, much worse than what he expects.

“He never will. Because I can defeat him in an instant with my powers,” Doyoung reassures him, maintaining his whisper-like voice. With a kid like Donghyuck, he guesses that a story of defeating evil creatures with magic is a comforting thought to ward away the scary ones. And it appears to work to some degree; Donghyuck’s breathing is mostly relaxed now, even if his hands remain tightly clinging onto the adult. 

“Is there anyone stronger than Doie…?” the boy wonders. “The bad man isn’t stronger, is he?”

Doyoung pauses. “Of course not. Bad people will always be weak. Nothing can beat our good, pure hearts.”

Perhaps his method of calming the boy down was effective. An extended yawn comes from Donghyuck, who finally loosens his grip on his attendant and backs away from him. His eyes — a bit glossy from the tears — gaze up to the black-haired man, blinking like a lost puppy.

“Do I have to sleep?” the young prince asks, despite how obvious it is that he’s drowsy from his half-lidded eyes and continuous yawning. He looks up to Doyoung, hopeful that he might be easy to persuade, but to no avail.

“Growing boys like yourself must get lots of sleep.” Part of Doyoung’s lips curve into a fond grin. “I promise you that the bad man cannot hurt you.”

“I don’t know,” the prince murmurs unconfidently, holding his hands together in a rather defensive manner. “I’m scared I might see him again…” 

Another sigh slips past Doyoung’s lips. The boy’s fears are completely understandable, but what would be even worse is if he doesn’t get enough sleep tonight and ends up exhausted the next day. Doyoung himself — as well as probably every adult out there — knows how it feels to be running on only a few hours of sleep for a day. Donghyuck would not be able to survive such a day, plus that would mean failing his job to keep the prince healthy and at his best.

Doyoung helps the boy comfortably lay on his bed, gently placing him under the blanket which he flattens out neatly. Despite being reluctant to sleep again, the brunette trusts his attendant, letting him tuck him in. 

Once he seems comfy and warm under his blanket, Doyoung clears his throat gently as he kneels down to be closer to Donghyuck’s level. As the child glances at him expectantly, he smiles once again, pushing up his glasses. 

“Do you like singing, Prince Donghyuck?”

The boy thinks for a second before he nods slowly.

“How would you like it if I sang you an old incantation?”

Donghyuck yawns again. “Incan-what?” 

“It’s like a magic spell. When you say them, you activate the magic in the words,” explains Doyoung, keeping his voice hushed. “The one I have in mind is special — legend has it, the mother of light first sang this spell many centuries ago to protect us from an evil creature. To this day, she listens for her song, casting her light upon whoever calls to her.”

Truth be told, the legend is simply that: a legend. It’s a well-known story within the circle of magic users, typically taught to young mages-to-be in the process of training. Gran Mare had told Doyoung the story many times when he was younger and shyer about magic as a way to encourage him to trust the higher beings of magic. The mother of light has no name, simply a title that elder mages refer to as. Although no one has proven her existence, numerous mages from the past tell her tales and pass them down — the most prominent is her incantation. 

“Whoa…” Bewildered, Donghyuck’s eyes widen in awe at the story. He’s heard of spells that mages and witches alike chant to cast their magic, but the mother of light and her song is something completely new. Now eager to listen to the incantation, Donghyuck reaches over to Doyoung and tugs on his long sleeve, indicating his impatience. 

The mage nods in acknowledgement and shuts his eyes, taking a deep inhale in preparation. When his lips part, he is careful to be low enough that only the prince can hear him. His voice comes out whispery, almost to the point of being raspy. Nonetheless, Doyoung’s singing is soothing and flows effortlessly like a silk river, reminding Donghyuck of lavender flowers, diving into a pile of fresh-cleaned clothes and, strangely, his mother. 

He dozes off to Doyoung’s lullaby, dreaming that his mother held him with wings made of clouds and warm light.

_Lulala lulalila  
Lula lila dulalila  
Lata lulila lulula  
Talata lulila luluta  
Phoille te lirte  
Mamonde mi fulle her_

The palace is already busy with servants rushing from every direction in the morning, even more so than usual. Doyoung had gotten out of bed earlier than he would’ve in order to prepare for the busy day. As they had been informed yesterday, visitors from another kingdom were arriving at noon, whom the king and queen have a meeting and dinner event planned for.

As part of his daily responsibilities, Doyoung helped Donghyuck get dressed and brushed properly to later join the royal family for breakfast. From the way he was literally jumping up and down and could barely put on his socks, Doyoung knew that the boy had gotten a good night’s sleep. Good for the boy, but for the attendant who has to deal with his high energy levels for the rest of the day… He’ll be needing to squeeze in an extra nap in his schedule.

Donghyuck absolutely couldn’t wait for the visitors to come. In fact, he couldn’t even manage to sit still (only after breakfast, though) with the amount of excitement that was bursting out of his tiny body. He ran around the palace when he was supposed to walk in a princely manner, even tugging on Doyoung’s hand to force _him_ to dash around and nearly stumble over his own feet.

“He certainly is very excited…” Doyoung mutters to Johnny after meeting up with him. Currently, the two attendants are escorting their princes to the throne room where the royal family is to greet their visitors soon. Rather than escorting, however, it’s more like the children are leading the grownups, excitedly chatting with each other in anticipation. Donghyuck in particular has a joyful skip in his gait. 

Johnny chuckles. “He’s always like that on the way to meet Prince Renjun. They’re inseparable, I tell you — something about their personalities fit together so perfectly. It’s like they were meant for each other.”

Doyoung gulps, asking, “So… Prince Renjun is similar to Prince Donghyuck?”

“Not in the way you’re thinking of. Or more like, dreading,” Johnny answers with a fuller laugh, understanding that the other is terrified of having to deal with _two_ Donghyucks. “Prince Renjun is a much more mature kid. Almost too mature for his age… Very well-spoken and poised — around adults, that is. Once he and the kids are alone, things get a bit… out of hand.”

“Is that so…” Doyoung murmurs, blankly staring into the distance. This makes Johnny snort and give him a hearty pat on the back.

“You’ll be fine, really. You do realize how much Donghyuck likes you, right?”

Pursing his lips slightly, the mage stares at his coworker with a hint of uncertainty in his expression. Johnny simply beams at him, confident that Doyoung is _the_ person to deal with the likes of Donghyuck and his friends.

Guards standing on each side of the massive doors — they’re gates more than anything — step aside to allow more room for the entrance, bowing at the sight of the two princes. A red carpet lined with gold stretches from the hallway into the magnificent throne room, the same red coloring the walls and drapes over mosaic windows. 

The king and queen are at the very end of the room where the two thrones sit, speaking presumably one of the servants. The boys continue to walk over to the monarchs, while Johnny leads Doyoung to the crowd off to the side — the designated area for servants to be standing in. Now, all they really have to do is wait for the visitors to arrive, which should be soon. 

The person the king and queen have been talking to makes his way back to the area where the servants are, specifically to Johnny and Doyoung. He approaches them with a bright grin, and that’s when Doyoung realizes he might’ve seen this person before not too long ago.

“You’re actually back on time!” Johnny exclaims, fake surprise dripping all over his face. The other hits his arm playfully. 

“How about _you_ try getting involved in a high-speed chase by mountain trolls?” Simultaneously, he shakes his head and airy chuckles leave his throat. Doyoung can’t quite tell if he was joking or that actually happened. His attention shifts to the mage right after. “Is this the new attendant I’ve heard about?”

Johnny nods. The person’s large, beady eyes almost sparkle in that moment as he eagerly holds out his hands. Once Doyoung holds them with his own, he does a vigorous handshake. 

“Lee Taeyong. The one and only royal messenger,” he introduces, beaming ear to ear. “You were Gran Mare’s apprentice, right? It’s such an honor to meet you!” 

Taeyong definitely is the person Doyoung saw yesterday at the lounge room. The sharp facial features mixed with his almost childlike eyes shape a very animated, handsome young man. His silver hair is messily pushed over his forehead and there’s a scar in one of his brows. Upon closer inspection, Doyoung can see that both his ears are pointed. _An elf, here in this kingdom?_

“Please. I am nowhere near the level of my late master,” Doyoung insists with his hand raised up dismissively. The last thing he wants is for his fellow servants to place him on a pedestal just because of Gran Mare. He’d be too ashamed to face her in the afterlife. “Kim Doyoung. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Taeyong.” 

“Do you have any free time later today? I’d love to get to know you more!” Taeyong excitedly gushes, perhaps a bit _too_ excited to meet Doyoung, whose face goes faintly pink at the suggestion.

_Isn’t that what people say when…? No, no — please stop thinking whatever you’re thinking and be polite._

“Of course. That sounds great,” replies the mage with a nod of agreement. To be honest, the offer does spark interest in him — interest in knowing more about this elf, that is, and why he’s serving a human king and queen. 

Footsteps of a group of people sound from the hallway; everyone standing in the throne room instantly hush and face the red carpet path in the center, awaiting their guests. Taeyong leans close to Doyoung’s ear — he really shouldn’t be speaking anymore, but he wants to get his message across — and whispers, “I’ll come find you later.”

Doyoung smushes his lips together, nodding discreetly while his eyes are nervously glued to the entrance. It still feels a bit surreal, the fact that he’s in the heart of the palace and about to greet another group of royalty. Now that he thinks about it, Gran Mare herself had been in the king and queen’s presence a couple times, having been requested to oversee important events in the past. Maybe he was destined to end up in the palace one way or another, following in her steps as accurately as he can.

A pair of soldiers lead the group into the throne room. As soon as they step foot into the room, the servants bow deeply and hold the gesture until the last person has entered. Doyoung hadn’t been exactly told what to do when guests come, so he sort of just copies whatever Johnny is doing, assuming as fellow attendants they should be doing the same thing.

Once the others lift their heads and Doyoung follows suit, he finally gets his long-awaited look at the guests, forgetting that too much staring is considered rude. Most of them are young men, all dressed in a style of clothing that’s rare to see in this kingdom’s land. One with a gentle smile upon his face leads the group; he doesn’t appear to be royalty but rather an official of high standing. The person close to him _does_ look like royalty, though, with a small, golden headpiece upon his head of dark brown hair. He also has a friendly expression upon his attractive facial features that, for some reason, just scream _prince_ to Doyoung. 

Behind those two is a small child accompanied by two adults in front and behind him. _That must be Prince Renjun,_ Doyoung recognizes. With a confident, forward gaze and a composed demeanor, it’s difficult to believe that he’s as young as Donghyuck. Being the prince and undergoing all sorts of royal training must have had a great impact on his bearing (what went wrong with Donghyuck…?). 

A notably tall and broad figure walks behind him, presumably a personal bodyguard from the way he’s clad in light armor and an impressive sword is carried by his waist. The other positioned in front of Renjun reminds Doyoung of a scholar from his robes and graceful composure, though he too has a sword strapped behind his back. 

The king and queen rise from their thrones, the former raising his arms out as a welcome gesture with a great smile stretching across his mature face. “Welcome, friends from the Eastern land! I hope your journey here was uneventful and went smoothly.”

The first to speak up is the official standing frontmost, who bows deeply before glancing up to the king with a relaxed smile. “The trip went perfectly well. It is always a pleasure to be in Your Majesty’s wonderful kingdom.”

Donghyuck does a secret little wave of his hand at Renjun — he’s a couple steps behind his uncle, so he prays that the man doesn’t notice — who returns the gesture with a half-grin, breaking his cool and almost cold attitude from before. They _are_ still children, after all, even if they are in the same room as some of the most important figures in human society. Honestly, they probably find this all a bore, since topics discussed here are too complicated for them to comprehend anyway.

“Well, it is certainly great to see you all—”

“Stop where you are!” one of the guards on the other side of the doors exclaims, interrupting the king and causing every head to turn in the commotion’s direction. The two guards hold their spears to a person’s neck, stopping their movement. Doyoung can’t see too clearly from his position and neither can Johnny, who’s stretching his neck as far as he can curiously. 

“What is it?” the king inquiries, furrowing his brow.

“Your Majesty, this man is attempting to speak to you but he has yet to name himself and his purpose!” a guard explains, his eyes never leaving the intruder’s figure. 

The man in question, wearing a black hooded cape, raises his voice in protest to the guards and to appeal to the royal members. “Please! I have important news for the king and queen; it’s about the prince!”

Mark and Donghyuck briefly glance at each other in confusion, wondering which prince and what sort of news it could be. Though there’s plenty of chances that this man is lying and has sinister motives, the urgency in his tone is enough for the king to allow him to at least speak of his news. He gestures with his hand, signalling for the guards to carefully bring him a few meters forward and into the room. All the servants gawk at him, including Doyoung. 

From his looks, the unexpected guest can’t be any more than twenty. There’s a sort of naive and innocent quality to his face — he’d be the type to be described as having a “baby face”, in fact. The cape he wears covers most of his body aside from his pair of well-worn hunter boots. His silvery, blue locks are parted at the middle and brushed neatly. 

A strange sensation strikes Doyoung while he gazes at the young man. He’s sensing something… the presence of faint magic. Very strange magic at that, not like any type of magic he’s experienced in his life. 

Out of respect for the king, the male kneels onto the floor and places a hand down, much like how knights do in front of their rulers. For a split second, Doyoung spots the pale, sickly skin of his arm and the shocking number of small scars littered across the whole limb. However, he quickly pulls his sleeve down to conceal his arm even before Doyoung gets to wonder how he could’ve acquired them. 

“Your Majesty, please forgive my earlier rudeness. My name is Kim Jungwoo. I am a magical prophet with an eye of the future, and I have seen that there is grave danger headed towards Prince Donghyuck.”

The fae’s warning echoes in Doyoung’s head: _The young prince is in danger. Someone is after him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "incantation" inspired by lyrics from various Mili songs!
> 
> guess who the ppl w/ renjun are? :D (the descriptions are really vague i know lol)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi there! i just want to preface this by saying i'm really sorry — unfortunately i've completely lost my motivation & interest in writing out the rest of this story, so i'll have to put this fic to a stop now.
> 
> that being said, i do feel awful for ending on this lukewarm note, so i'm gonna be summarizing what happens in the rest of the story because i did have the whole thing outlined and prepared. i know this isn't nearly as ideal as actually reading this as a story, but this is the most i can offer for you guys. i'm not the same person i was when i initially wrote this (lots of strange things happened — including graduating high school and officially becoming an adult! crazy how that can just… happen) so i don't think i'll be able to continue off of the style i wrote this in back then. 
> 
> i really do wish i could keep writing this until the end but… i just don't think i can. i hope you'll understand.
> 
> this fic still has a special place in my heart to this day and i'm truly thankful for everyone who showed it some love whether it was in the form of hits, kudos or nice comments :) 
> 
> so without further ado, here's what was meant to transpire following the arrival of jungwoo at the castle. it'll be a basic summary and i won't go into too much detail about specific interactions between the characters, like donghyuck and renjun or doyoung and jaehyun/taeyong, because i want you to fill in those gaps yourself! imagine they do whatever you wish on the side as the story takes place. kinda like a choose your own adventure thing? but not really? anyways —

Jungwoo comes to the castle, announcing himself as a prophet. He brings urgent news of danger befalling young Prince Donghyuck in the near future and the entire crowd gathered at the throne room are obviously concerned. Doyoung is especially worried, because he recalls the fae Sicheng had a similar warning. He also knows Jungwoo isn't lying about having "an eye of the future" — he senses the faint magic coming from Jungwoo. It's a little strange and unsettling.

Nonetheless, Doyoung tells the king that Jungwoo is certainly a magical prophet as he claims and that he shares that concern. Jungwoo then insists that he can stay at the palace and protect Donghyuck from this predicted threat. The king agrees and Jungwoo is introduced to Doyoung, Donghyuck, and the others. He'll be staying at one of the guest rooms at the castle. 

Things at the castle are normal, it seems. Taeyong is staying for a few days before he must depart for his messenger duties and indulges Doyoung in stories of all the wonderful places he's traveled to. Taeyong also mentions that nearby cities are being haunted by strange occurrences — people are going missing at night, never to return. He thinks that something truly dangerous could be closing in on the kingdom, and that he wants Doyoung to promise he'll keep Donghyuck safe. Doyoung makes a firm promise to do exactly that.

Donghyuck's interest in magic grows stronger and stronger. He brags to Renjun about how his attendant is a mage, and Renjun is absolutely ecstatic to meet Doyoung. When they first meet, Renjun excitedly says that Doyoung reminds him of a Ten-ge — Ten is the scholar Doyoung had seen earlier. Ten is a mage as well — a former mage. Ten quietly tells Doyoung that he had dabbled in dark magic once, hungry for knowledge, which nearly cost him his life. His magic is cut off from his body now, but he still maintains a little energy that he uses to teach Renjun about the gentle, natural part of magic. Doyoung admires the journey he's been through. 

Ten and Doyoung discuss magic again while they chaperone the kids messing around in the royal gardens. Jungwoo passes by them, smiling. Once he's gone, Ten whispers to Doyoung that there's something he doesn't like about Jungwoo. Something he can't exactly pinpoint. Doyoung keeps that in mind. He's unable to ignore the quiet feeling of dread growing inside himself. 

Donghyuck begs and begs Doyoung to teach him more magic. Doyoung is reluctant about this, remembering Jaehyun's harsh words to him from before, but Donghyuck won't stop making a scene until Doyoung gives in, so he eventually does. Doyoung sings the mother of light's incantation and teaches Donghyuck the syllables. He has a hard time figuring out the pronunciation. Donghyuck keeps trying, insisting he can do it. His show of determination strikes a deep part of Doyoung's heart. 

One night, Doyoung spots Jungwoo at the gardens while he's strolling throughout the castle. They strike up a conversation — Jungwoo explains he's been admiring the section of blue allium bulbs. "They're beautiful, aren't they?" Doyoung agrees. Jungwoo expresses his concerns over Donghyuck's safety, which then prompts Doyoung to inquire about his magic of clairvoyance. Jungwoo pauses to think, then tells Doyoung that it's something that's been perfected over the years. A powerful force passed down from his predecessor. It's vague. Jungwoo bids Doyoung goodnight and leaves. 

Another night, Donghyuck has another nightmare. This time, Jaehyun comes to his room a couple steps before Doyoung does. Doyoung watches the way Jaehyun comforts him: he cradles the boy in his arms, wiping his tears away, muttering something underneath his breath. It's a lullaby. Donghyuck starts to sink in Jaehyun's arms and eventually falls asleep, which is when Jaehyun tucks him into bed and looks at Doyoung.

Donghyuck has always had a problem with nightmares ever since his parents died, Jaehyun says. That's understandable. He's been through a lot for a child as young as he is. But Jaehyun's gaze darkens as he adds a detail that the common people of the kingdom were never told: that Donghyuck's parents had been slain by dark magic one night, in a room where Donghyuck laid in his own bed, wide awake. For some reason, he wasn't harmed — aside from the trauma of witnessing his parents' brutal murders. 

Doyoung isn't sure what to say except express his sorrows — Jaehyun interrupts him before he does. Jaehyun says he doesn't want to hear it "from the likes of you." He leaves with the most hostile glare on Doyoung, but Doyoung sees the tinge of painful sorrow behind his hostility.

In a few days, it'll be a full moon. Doyoung takes Donghyuck outdoors late at night to gaze at the sky. Donghyuck starts talking about how he likes it when Doyoung's around because Doyoung in his entirety is "fun." Donghyuck says when he's bored and there's nothing to do he has to go mess around with the servants, otherwise he'll start thinking about "things" and that upsets him. 

Doyoung assures Donghyuck that he can get over the "things" over time, that he himself has been through a lot in his life. Forgetting happens naturally, and it can be something pleasant with tender love and care. Donghyuck takes Doyoung's hand and says an honest, "Thank you, Doie. I'm really really glad that you're my friend."

The next night, Doyoung is in his room studying when Donghyuck suddenly bursts in, the panic clear and wild on his face. Doyoung asks what's wrong, why is he up so late? Is it another nightmare? Donghyuck shakes his head — his hands and legs are trembling and he's sweating — but he still looks like he's on the verge of tears.

"Something's wrong," Donghyuck says. He can feel it. Doyoung immediately gets out of his chair and is led by Donghyuck outdoors to the royal gardens. Doyoung is perplexed, wondering what exactly Donghyuck is talking about — until he sees it.

Jungwoo stands in the center of the allium bulbs. Jaehyun is in front of him, pointing the tip of his sword to Jungwoo's neck. Doyoung rushes to them, though throwing out a protective arm in front of Donghyuck, warning him not to step too close. Doyoung demands to know what's happening. Jaehyun doesn't look away from Jungwoo. He's furious. His hand grips tighter on the hilt.

Jungwoo looks exceptionally pale yet he's calm. Jaehyun threatens to slice Jungwoo's neck apart with his sword — "What are you hiding, you monster?"

Doyoung is worried. What is going on? Jungwoo suddenly breaks out of his calm demeanor and begins cackling. Under the sleeve of his cloak his hand clenches, black veins visible through his milky skin. He lifts his hand — suddenly Jaehyun can't move — and grabs Jaehyun by the neck. Jaehyun chokes. Jungwoo's eyes are wicked. Doyoung, stepping away in fear, watches the moment Jungwoo's irises and pupils turn completely white, blending in with the sclera.

Doyoung understands this phenomenon, vaguely. This is dark magic. And this is likely not the true Jungwoo, but rather a malicious force possessing his body. The visible struggle to keep his body in one piece is telling of this. Donghyuck tugs on Doyoung's coat, hiding behind him fearfully.

Jungwoo says he was planning to wait until the full moon, but Jaehyun's sharp senses caught him by surprise. "How exactly did you know? A mere human like you?" he wonders, then something catches his eye. He grins — what an eerie look. "Oh, I see. I must applaud you for managing to survive — that must have been truly terrifying. I do wonder who you lost, though. Was it a friend? A mother? A… sister, perhaps?"

Jaehyun hollers out of rage. He squirms and squirms but he's no match to Jungwoo's supernatural powers. He is tossed to the other end of the garden with great vigor and is rendered almost unconscious from the impact. Doyoung shouts Jaehyun's name and Donghyuck wails, covering his face. Jungwoo turns his attention to the two.

"Such a beautiful garden," Jungwoo says. His voice is no longer what Doyoung remembers it as. It's raspy and sounds like a million other voices echoing the same words slightly off-beat. He lifts his hands and the ground suddenly illuminates in an eerie purple shape; it's an intricate magic circle, drawn with the most delicate care that surrounds Jungwoo's figure. Doyoung can sense the very malice in the strange magic swirling in the air. This is bad. Donghyuck needs to get out of here _now._

Jungwoo is panting lightly. His back is hunched — Jungwoo's body can handle so long of being manipulated by the dark, life-eating magic. Doyoung can only wonder how Jungwoo has been like this.

"Finally," the creature says, "I can take what was meant to be mine — and the power of the gods hidden in it."

Power of the gods? Doyoung stands his ground. Whatever that means, the creature must be stopped. The dark magic concentrates in the creature's palms and is suddenly blasted Doyoung's way. Doyoung acts as quick as he can, muttering a spell and creating a sheer, golden shield to block the attack. He winces. The creature is powerful. 

Doyoung is pushing every drop of magic into the shield against the relentless attack. He manages to tell Donghyuck to _run_ before the shield shatters — Donghyuck backs away, fearful. He's utterly helpless as he watches Doyoung struggle to recover from the portion of magic he'd been hit by and stand back onto his feet.

Donghyuck can't move. He's frozen in fear. He feels the very despair in the creature's magic, reminding him of that night. This is what he fears most and he's watching Doyoung try to fend it off, but eventually crumbling to his knees, completely drained. Will he be taken away by that evil magic too? Is the bad man going to eat him too?

"D- Doie…!" Donghyuck whimpers. The creature, seemingly finished with Doyoung — who can barely even lift himself from the ground — is grinning ear-to-ear at Donghyuck now. "W- What do I do?"

"How I pity you, little prince. Your mother and father were so easy to eat," the creature taunts. Donghyuck pales in an instant.

Doyoung suddenly shouts. He tries to drown out the villainous voice — Donghyuck doesn't need to hear it. Doyoung reminds him of the incantation — "Remember? She'll come and- and protect you; you just have to sing her song!"

Donghyuck panics. His eyes are large at the cursed body of Jungwoo, smiling at him toothily. "B- But what if I don't remember it? Or I don't sing it right?"

Doyoung attempts moving — bad idea. It hit a spot on his body where his ache is greatest. He groans and grits his teeth. With a deep breath: "You can do it, Donghyuck. You are strong."

The creature thinks this is ridiculous. What will a silly little song do to save him? But as soon as Donghyuck closes his eyes and recites the first line, hands held together in prayer, a warm light emits from his body. It grows brighter with every syllable he sings, imperfections included, until it blinds the creature. It screeches, furious. It'll eat Donghyuck now, before he can manage to do anything else —

It doesn't work. A woman's voice sings from above, her ghostly apparition appearing in the midst of the light that surrounds Donghyuck. She absorbs all the dark magic sent Donghyuck's way.

Now it's their turn: the woman sings the last line along with Donghyuck. A stream of light bursts towards Jungwoo's body, swallowing him completely. The strangled cries are shrill and horrendous to listen to. Doyoung watches in awe as Jungwoo's body writhes midair. The light sucks away the dark veins that had been spreading across his sickly skin.

Gradually, life returns to Jungwoo's body. His eyes are dark and round once more. With a silent expression, he gently floats back down to the ground. He sits on his knees, completely dazed. The light dissipates as well, though not before Donghyuck opens his eyes and sees the woman pressing a magical kiss to his forehead. 

Donghyuck is surprised too. It takes a moment for him to process what exactly had happened. He can barely understand any of it. He's just sure of the warmth that had embraced him and the kiss that reminded him of his mother. This… is magic?

Donghyuck rushes to Doyoung's side. He's okay — injured and drained of energy, but okay. He hugs Donghyuck, telling him he did an amazing job. That he's proud of him, and so is the mother of light. Donghyuck sinks into the hug and nods.

Jaehyun rises to his feet too. He's also okay. He's physically injured but he's tough — he joins the two, asking if they're alright first and foremost. There's no more rage in him. He's relieved, for the most part, even after being reminded of a painful past. 

Last is Jungwoo. The real Jungwoo. He glances at his surroundings. His eyes are wide, concerned in a way, because he has no clue where this is nor why he's here in the first place. Doyoung can tell it's no act. Jungwoo doesn't have memories of what happened while the evil force was controlling his body. 

A couple guards come rushing to the gardens. They had heard the creature's screams and have their blades at the ready, expecting a threat. Jaehyun sighs softly and informs them there's nothing to be worried about, telling them to return to their posts. They flash an odd look at Jaehyun's tousled hair and dirtied clothes, but they don't question him. 

Donghyuck squeezes Doyoung's hand. He looks down at the boy and is astonished to see his bright smile.

"You saved me, Doie," says Donghyuck. He looks to Jaehyun, to Jungwoo's perplexed expression. Without the evil magic, Donghyuck doesn't find Jungwoo scary anymore. "You saved us."

Doyoung breaks into a smile, too. He pinches Donghyuck's cheek. "I don't deserve all the credit. You had the hardest part, and you did it well."

  
  


  
  


  
  


Years have passed since then.

(Jaehyun had approached Doyoung the day after their encounter with the evil residing in Jungwoo's body. He said he was sorry, that he despised magic users after he'd lost someone to its evils — and that he viewed it differently now. He saw the way Donghyuck illuminated the darkness.

Doyoung told him he didn't have to apologize. There would always be the good and the bad in things, and mother nature has it that way to keep the workings of the world balanced. Jaehyun smiled and thanked Doyoung again for being the mentor to Donghyuck that he couldn't manage to be.)

(Jungwoo told his story — the portion that he remembered of it. He wasn't a mage or anything, but rather a keen explorer who was fascinated by ancient magical relics. He had awakened an evil being that had been sealed by mistake and it seized his body; he last recalled a miasma clouding his vision.

He was fifteen when it happened. He had to clarify with Doyoung exactly how long it had been since then: around seven years, they discovered.

Jungwoo had nowhere to go. He was an explorer who ventured in the most dangerous places at his age because he didn't have a family to care for his well-being. Doyoung pitied him. He saw potential in Jungwoo — a type of spark that shone in Jungwoo's eyes in spite of the fatigue. Something that inexplicably attracted him. Jungwoo had magic which wasn't too special on its own, but Doyoung couldn't look away.

_Gran Mare, is this what you saw in me?_ )

Donghyuck is sixteen. He had grown out of the need for an attendant, and Doyoung knew he wouldn't be in this position forever. Doyoung said his goodbyes to his friends he made at the castle and especially Donghyuck, who understood the need to depart but was sad about it anyway. 

Sometimes, Donghyuck travels out of the kingdom by his trusty steed. Somewhere deep in the forest with lush berry bushes and delicate ginkgo trees is a quiet cottage. There would always be candlelight flickering behind its windows, welcoming Donghyuck to stay for the night and learn a little more about the magic that kept him strong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading this far. it's sad to see this fic put to rest but i really appreciate everyone who showed it some love along the way!
> 
> stay safe everyone <3  
> i'm on [twitter](https://twitter.com/Iabitgray) \+ here's my [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/labitgray). feel free to ask any questions or even share your own ideas to this story if you have any :)


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